The Return
by Nicola Lane
Summary: Cordelia performs a spell to bring Doyle back from the dead. How will the gang react to his arrival and how will they fare when a new big bad makes his presence known? Set in season four. Cordelia/Doyle.
1. Anniversary

**The Return**

**Author:** Nicole Lane

**Summary:** Cordelia performs a spell to bring Doyle back from the dead. How will the gang react to his arrival and how will they fare when a new big bad makes his presence known? Set in season four. Cordelia/Doyle.

**Chapter one:** Anniversary

It took a great deal of effort for Cordelia Chase to pull herself off of the hotel room floor and onto the bed. She took a deep, calming breath before stumbling over to an antique vanity that stood against the wall. She was completely exhausted, both physically as well as mentally, and Cordelia was disgusted to find that it showed in her reflection. Brown hair was matted in places where it had escaped from its braid and her eyes were red rimmed and lifeless. The actress was an emotional wreck and had lost her unique glimmer of fire.

Cordelia sighed and rested her head against the vanity table. She studied the room listlessly as she thought about the events that caused her current emotional state. Doyle, the good natured half demon that had given his visions to her the night that he died. Angel was unaware of her ongoing grief, and Cordelia liked it that way. Grief was something private. Her undead boss would be shocked to learn how often she still mourned the Irishman. Still, the memory would remain with her always. Nothing could erase the image of his flesh searing away as Doyle gave up his life for the good of humanity three years ago to the day.

"Too bad we'll never know," he had said, a sad and humourless smile curling the blue lips of his demon visage. At the time Cordelia had looked at him in dazed confusion as he shook his head and continued, "if this is a face you could learn to love."

She pressed her eyes closed as the memory washed over her, bringing a new batch of searing tears. It was all she could do to stifle the sobs that threatened to consume her. That was a lifetime ago, and although she was not aware of the love she felt for him at the time, she was now, and it was growing steadily as the years passed by. It was a dull ache in her heart that kept her from pursuing any other relationships. Now here she was, with Angel and his son both fawning over her, and the entire AI team facing a gloomy and unbearably miserable future.

A soft, uncertain knock echoed through the room. Cordelia turned her head, which still rested on the vanity, and met the concerned gaze of her co-worker and friend, Fred Burkle. The tiny Texan bit her lip and smiled shyly, as she quietly asked, "Cordy?"

Cordelia was aware of her unkempt appearance. She felt the tear tracks across her cheeks and another glance in the mirror showed eyes that were puffier than they were a few minutes before. She tried to smile reassuringly, but it came out as a faint grimace.

"Cordy?" Fred asked again as she took a few steps toward her distraught friend, "are you alright?"

Cordy looked at the waif of a girl and smiled slightly, a true smile. Fred was always sweet to Cordelia and they had a special bond as the only female members of the AI team. Keeping that in mind, Cordelia was quick to reassure her with a brighter smile. "Just a bit of emotion I needed to release. No worries."

Cordelia was pleased to see that Fred had bought the story, at least enough to leave her alone again. "Dinner is downstairs for you, when you want it."

"Thanks," said Cordelia as she threw a wrinkled bathrobe over her lacy negligee. "I'll be down in a minute, I swear." Fred gave her one more uncertain glance, accompanied by a quick hug, before exiting the room.

Cordelia made a half-hearted effort to brighten her appearance before she stumbled, none too gracefully, down the stairs and into the hotel lobby. Wes and Fred looked up from the couch they were sharing, an uncomfortable distance between the two. Both Angel and Gunn were missing from the group, Angel on patrol and Gunn most likely off visiting his old crew as he did from time to time.

Fred smiled when she saw the seer and Cordelia smiled back as brightly as she could muster. The Texan ignored the fact that Cordelia was making an unsuccessful attempt to hide her despair and gestured to a take out back on the counter. "We ordered Chinese."

Cordelia smiled genuinely this time. "Thank you, Fred." She walked toward the kitchen and grabbed a plate and fork to serve herself dinner. When she re-entered the lobby the phone was ringing shrilly and Fred made a movement to answer the call. Cordelia held up her hand and shook her head slightly. "Don't bother. We should take the night off, at least until Angel or Connor get here."

Fred nodded and sat back down. Wesley glanced at her awkwardly and Cordelia had to physically restrain herself from rolling her eyes at his behaviour. It was a big surprise to everyone when Fred and Gunn had started dating, but sometimes the seer wished Wesley could just get over the feelings he had for the slight girl. It would make life in the hotel easier. Cordelia also wished that Angel would discard his feelings for her, because she felt uncomfortable around the rest of the team who were obviously thinking that they would eventually get together.

The phone rang a few more times before the answering machine picked it up. The voice on the recording was strained and raspy. "Angel? Cordelia?" Her interest piqued, Cordelia set her fork down and gave her full attention to the answering machine. "Is anyone there? Okay...I thought I should tell you…there is a spell I have, one I was hoping you would perform. This is pertaining to my ex-husband..." Cordelia barely noticed as Connor and Gunn entered the hotel side by side, returning from a rather strenuous patrol. She was captivated by the voice on the machine, it was so familiar to her, yet she had trouble placing it. "In recent months I have discovered a bit more about that…device…that killed him. There was a spell, I guess, that forced anyone who touched it to, well, to go to…hell." At this point the woman paused, obviously distraught. "He meant a lot to me, and I know that, despite his faults, he deserves better than that. I think you meant a lot to you, too." Cordelia inhaled sharply and grasped the desk to balance herself as recognition racked her body. "Please, please, get back to me as soon as you can. There is a spell, but it can only be done tonight." The seer stared at the message machine, urging it to continue. "Uh...this is Harry." This time Cordelia gasped and lunged for the phone. "You can, and I hope you will, contact me at 455-67...."

"Harry?" Cordelia found herself out of breath and dizzy from the thoughts racing through her mind. "Is that you, Harry?" She pressed a button on the answering machine that ended the message and lowered her voice so the rest of the curious team would be unable to hear her conversation. "Hello…yes…of course…Harry, this spell, will it bring him back? Oh. Still, any chance is a good chance…right." Cordelia glanced at the clock. "Twenty minutes. Thanks, Harry." Cordelia hung up the phone and jogged back up the stairs, leaving the remainder of the team in the lobby, dazed and confused.

_tbc..._

Please review! Thanks!


	2. The Spell

**The Return**

**Author:** Nicola Lane

**Summary:** Cordelia performs a spell to bring Doyle back from the dead. How will the gang react to his arrival and how will they fare when a new big bad makes his presence known? Set in season four. Cordelia/Doyle.

**AN: **Thanks for reviewing so quickly! The next couple of chapters will go up quickly because this is a story I wrote years ago and decided quite recently to edit. Beware: the writing style may change when I get to new stuff. Right now I'm only fixing the really bad grammar and nonsensical parts. Otherwise…I have the whole thing mapped out, so it should go pretty smoothly… (knock on wood!)

Now to acknowledge my reviewers…

_Plyea_: I really wanted them to bring Doyle back, too, but when the actor died I knew it was not to be! As far as the Angel reaction…sorry to disappoint, but there will be a little jealous Angel in this story. It feels necessary to me, even if I hate the Cordelia/Angel pairing. No worries, though, because I have a feeling that the ending I have planned will make you happy!

_Cocoa Snape: _Yeah, I really love Glenn Quinn. I started writing this after I heard about his death. Did you ever see the movie RSVP? I watched it only because of him! Doyle will be part of this story before you know it (as in this chapter) and yes, the team will play a big role. This is not (entirely) fluff. There will be action! And _more_ old faces.

**Chapter two: **The Spell

The Starlight was a small bistro four blocks away from Hyperion. Most of the tables were occupied by a rather lively crowd and a crooning woman with a guitar was providing entertainment from a small stage near the entrance. Cordelia had managed to grab a fairly isolated booth in the far corner with a good view of the front door. It was thirty-four minutes since she had disconnected with Harry and Cordelia was fidgeting restlessly with the neatly folded napkin in front of her.

Cordelia glanced at the entrance compulsively and gnawed at her lower lip in concern. _Harry will be here_, she told herself for the hundredth time. It had almost become a mantra that played relentlessly in her head. _Harry will be here. Harry will be here._ Cordelia picked up her teaspoon and tapped it against the table. The rhythmic clicking helped calm her nerves.

"Can I refill your drink, miss?" Cordelia snapped her attention to the gangly teenager holding a teapot and nodded curtly. He tipped the pot and black liquid mixed with her heavily diluted concoction of cream and sugar. The swirling colors were almost mesmerizing to her sleep deprived mind.

Cordelia was sure that the waiter had called her name a few times before she responded to his prodding, because he looked mildly concern for her as he inquired, "can I do anything else for you?"

Cordelia forced a smiled and fiddled with a sugar packet. She ripped it open and dumped the contents into her tea before responding, "no thank you." She sighed and looked at the door. "I'm still waiting for someone."

The waiter smiled knowingly. "Call me when you're ready to order."

Cordelia felt her features melt into a gentle smile without prompting and nodded in understanding. Just as he was about to walk away Cordelia glanced at his nametag and said, "thank you...Steve."

Steve the waiter smiled, content with her reaction and shrugged. "No problem, I guess. It _is _my job." Cordelia nodded and smiled again, but this time it was slightly forced. Understanding his cue, Steve moved onto his next table.

When the demonologist finally entered the restaurant Cordelia spotted her immediately and raised a shaky hand in greeting. There was a lump in her throat, which prevented her from calling out, but Harry noticed Cordelia regardless. The older woman looked downright exhausted as she approached the table and Cordelia felt a sharp stab of sympathy for the woman who was hurting just as badly as her.

"Thank you for calling me, Harry," whispered Cordelia while the woman in question settled herself across from the seer.

Harry nodded and smiled sadly. "I…am so glad you came, Cordelia, it means a lot to me." As tears filled her eyes Cordelia reached out to grasp Harry's hand in comfort, but the demonologist dodged the gesture with an embarrassed blush. She explained, "sorry. I just feel so out of sorts." She sighed and looked down at the menu. "I was so upset when I learned about…"

As the sentence trailed off unfinished Cordelia averted her eyes and nodded slightly as she rasped, "how did you find out?"

Harry glanced down at the table and inhaled shakily. "I asked a friend of mine to research…the _thing_ that killed him." She glanced up at Cordelia and smiled slightly. "I check in every year, just to see if there's any progress…and…there was." Tears began to pool in her eyes as she continued, "I wanted him to be happy, and it just kills me to know that he has suffered so much after giving his life _so_ selflessly."

Cordelia nodded slightly. "I understand."

"I know you do," said Harry with a warm smile. It put Cordelia at ease.

The seer cleared her throat and laced her fingers together on the table before her. She gently inquired, "you said there was a spell?"

"I would do it myself if I could," insisted Harry as she began to fiddle with her bag. "My plate is just so full, and I have no idea how to hand this sort of thing."

"I can do it, Harry. Anything," assured Cordelia softly and the demonologist smiled.

"Good."

***

Following her late dinner with Harry, Cordelia entered the hotel via the back entrance. She was careful to avoid the rest of the staff as she raced up the stairs and entered an empty room. It had a bed, a small table with a lamp and a adjacent bathroom. Cordelia quickly pressed the small window open, attempting to air the dusty room out. Next she visited the bathroom and washed her hands thoroughly, mentally going over what she needed to do for the spell.

Harry cut the meeting short after giving Cordelia the basics of the resurrection ceremony and sending her in the direction of a shaman who would provide the seer with a detailed spell and all the ingredients she needed. Cordelia met the man and after an hour in his unsettling presence she was finally at home and prepared to start the spell. She glanced at her watch as she locked the bedroom door. It was already 11:40 and the spell had to be completed on the last stroke of midnight for it to succeed.

Cordelia dropped to the floor and arranged five black candles into a makeshift circle on the rough carpet, lighting them one by one. She unfolded a tattered, yellowed piece of old parchment paper and recited the Latin words written there in practice. Five dishes of colourful powder were poured and placed between each candle in the circle. Cordelia closed her eyes after the words were imprinted on her mind and clasped her hands together.

The seer felt a warm tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach as she began reciting the spell. With each handful of powder she threw into the middle of the circle the heat would increase until she was basking in a warm, ethereal light. She let the spell take her over completely and felt herself gasping for breath as the last words passed her lips and the five candles extinguished themselves simultaneously. The entire room was masked in darkness.

Cordelia sat with her eyes closed, attempting to recapture her breath. Her heart was beating at a rapid rate as she strained to hear any sounds other than the ones she was making herself. It was difficult, too difficult, so she inhaled deeply and held her breath. After a moment she heard the ragged, jagged breath of someone else in the room. Feeling around, desperately searching in front of her for the other person, her hands fell across the unmistakable texture of a very male chest. It rose and fell unevenly. Cordelia dragged her hand up the body until her fingers were tracing facial features. She pulled away as he flinched and found her hands wet and tacky with what she could only assume was blood. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Doyle…" began Cordelia, uncertainly. "Is that you?"

A small, squeaky grunt was her only reply.

Breathing deeply, Cordelia threw herself away from the unidentified man and toward the entrance of the room. She fumbled against the wall frantically and let out a shout of success when her hands fell upon the light switch. The overhead light illuminated the bare room and its two occupants. From her spot at the doorway Cordelia saw a naked, black-haired man huddled in the corner. His back was to her.

"Doyle?" she asked, hopefully.

The figure was heaving and shaking profusely on the floor and seemed completely unaware of her presence. Cordelia began to walk toward the man, cautiously. As she neared she could hear incoherent mumbling. She gnawed on her lip in concern and reached out to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. He jumped back in alarm and bashed his head against the wall with a yell.

"Doyle!" exclaimed Cordelia who had a big, joyful grin plastered across her face. The once vibrant Irishman looked up at Cordelia with uncertainty for a moment and when he reached out with a dirty, bloodied hand to cup her cheek she curled into the gesture instead of shying away. Meeting his eyes with all the love she felt, Cordelia sighed, "Doyle."

"Cor…corde...del...delia?" stuttered Doyle in a quiet, vulnerable voice. Cordelia nodded, her throat too tight to speak, and tilted her head to the side in order to place a kiss against the palm cradling her face.

"You're back," rasped Cordelia, as if the notion was totally inconceivable. She wiped away tears as they splattered across her face and smiled widely. "It's you…"

Doyle squinted first at her, then at his surroundings. A whimper escaped him. "Is this...is this...this...Heaven?"

Cordy shook her head violently and grasped his hand tightly in hers. "No, no, no...this is the Hyperion hotel, home base of Angel Investigations. Do you remember Angel?"

Doyle continued to stare at Cordy with a glossy expression. "Are you an angel?"

"No, Doyle," sighed Cordelia with a sad smile. She allowed silence to fill the room she studied his haggard appearance. After a moment Cordelia was forced to look away as tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh God." Doyle looked down at himself. His entire body was covered in blood. Cordelia was breathing heavily as she stood up and stumbled toward the door, gently sobbing, "let me find you something to cover yourself with."

Cordelia came back into the room with a housecoat draped over her arm and gently wrapped it across his shoulders. "Doyle, I want to run you a bath, okay?" Doyle nodded mutely and she led him into the adjacent bathroom. After letting the tub fill, Cordelia guided Doyle into the scolding water and left him there to soak the blood from his skin.

Though she still felt uneasy with Doyle soaking in the tub, Cordelia no longer felt the numbing sadness in her heart. She glanced into the bathroom to see Doyle sitting motionlessly in the tub, studying the red tinged water with a great deal of detachment. She glanced away, sighing, and sat on the bed. Even still, there was a lightness in her chest that hadn't been there for a while. It was telling her: Doyle is back, everything is right. Nothing can ruin this.

Cordelia sat on her bed and sighed happily as the tears began to fall.

_tbc…_

I want to hear from you, guys! Please leave a review!


	3. Big Reveal

**The Return**

**Author:** Nicola Lane

**Summary:** Cordelia performs a spell to bring Doyle back from the dead. How will the gang react to his arrival and how will they fare when a new big bad makes his presence known? Set in season four. Cordelia/Doyle.

**Chapter three: **Big Reveal

Cordelia walked down the stairs very carefully. With her energy still extremely depleted after casting the spell, the seer was sure she would fall if she lost concentration. When she finally reached the empty lobby she was mildly guilty at how relieved she felt. She had, after all, been living with Connor above the natural history museum and her presence would raise unnecessary question among the staff. Angel especially.

Cordelia slipped into the kitchen and sighed. It was entirely selfish on her part. She wanted everyone to meet Doyle, but she was just too tired to deal with the ruckus his arrival would no doubt cause. She was also emotionally unprepared for the reactions her undead almost-sweetie and his doting son would have as she professed her love for the newly resurrected half-demon. It was definitely a storyline worthy of Jerry Springer.

Listening intently for unwanted company she gathered various fruits, vegetables, bread slices and a few chunks of leftover roast beef. She piled the feast onto a small serving tray and searched the fridge for drinks. She settled on two plastic cups and a jug of cold water. The seer lifted her tray of sustenance and immediately dropped it back onto the counter. It was either too heavy or she was too weak.

_I need to tell them eventually_, thought Cordelia morosely as she squared her shoulders and hoisted the tray off the counter. _It would be unfair to Doyle not to._ She stumbled through the lobby to the stairs without incident and managed to pull herself up the staircase with little embarrassment. At the top of she took a short break. However, the sound of new arrivals to the lobby area managed to motivate her to drag herself over to the room Doyle was residing in.

The main room was empty when she entered, but Cordelia could still hear Doyle in the bathroom, murmuring to himself quietly. She placed the tray of food on the bed and grabbed a towel. She walked over to the bathroom door and knocked lightly. The soft murmuring stopped immediately, as well as the light splashing that accompanied any movement in the tub. Then, very faintly, she hear a tentative 'hello'.

"Doyle?" asked Cordelia, gently. Her question was met with a muted acknowledgement from the other side of the door and she cleared her throat uncomfortably before continuing, "can I come in, do you think?"

The half demon was quiet for a long moment, which made Cordelia nervous. Finally, she was given permission to enter the bathroom. She opened the door cautiously and closed it behind her. Cordelia placed the towel on the rack and sighed before turning to face Doyle. He was sitting in the centre of the tub, hugging his knees to his body and watching the floor tiles with a vacant stare. Most of the bubbles from the bath had dispersed, leaving the water a murky red color. Cordelia stared at him for a long moment, trying to associate the shell of a man before her with the light-hearted half-demon she used to know.

"Hey," said Cordelia warmly, a kind smile curling her lips, even as tears filled her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

Doyle shrugged his shoulders listlessly, which caused the water around him to splash and the sound to echo off the bathroom walls. His face was still completely blank and his eyesight trained elsewhere. Cordelia hesitated before walking to the toilet and sitting on the seat, facing the bathtub. She felt uncomfortable and helpless in the surreal situation, but silently vowed to try her hardest to make the man she loved feel like he could be safe again.

She bit her lower lip and quietly asked, "do you have any injuries?" Doyle looked at her, gazing into her eyes as though he were studying her soul. Cordelia broke the gaze, pretending that she was rearranging a pretty flower to its rightful place in its vase among its colourful companions. She continued speaking without looking at him, conscious of his searing gaze, "I saw a lot of blood, but the wounds looked superficial."

"Where am I?" asked Doyle, breaking his silence.

Cordelia looked up at him and smiled affectionately. "Home."

"Where _is_ home?" questioned Doyle.

"Where your friends are," she responded.

"You're the only friend I've seen so far," Doyle reminded her.

"Angel's here too," Cordy assured him.

Doyle splashed around some more in the tub before asking Cordelia to leave so he could get out. She nodded and left the bathroom. A few minutes later Doyle exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped securely around his waist and a housecoat hanging loosely from his shoulders. Cordy handed him a pair of grey sweats and a black t-shirt that she found among Gunn laundry.

Doyle looked at them curiously and asked, "Angel decide to change his look?"

"No, those belong to Gunn," replied Cordelia, nonchalantly. She glided over to the bed and moved the tray of food to the bedside table.

Doyle paused for a moment, watching the seer as she flittered around the room. "Who would Gunn be, princess?" he asked while pulling on the sweatpants.

Cordelia turned to face him with a joyful smile curling her lips. "Princess, you used to call me that a lot. Before all of this." She gestured around the room, either drawing attention to what remained of the resurrection spell or the move to Hyperion hotel itself.

Doyle averted his eyes and began, "I apologise, I will try to remember to use your name next-"

"No, Doyle, I like it" interrupted Cordelia, emphatically. She walked closer to him and let the smile fade to something softer. "A lot of people have called me princess in my life, but you were the only one that made me really feel special." She lifted her hand a gently placed it on his cheek. When Doyle met her eyes she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips. She lingered for a moment and pulled back, quietly asking, "was that too soon?"

Doyle avoided meeting her eyes and mumbled, "no, it was fine."

Cordelia felt her cheeks burn with shame as she changed the subject. "Remember how I said that this place is home of A.I.? Well that stands for Angel Investigations, as you probably already know. There are other people working for A.I. now. One of them is Gunn, the guy who owns those clothes. Another couple of those people are Fred and Wes. Connor isn't really part of the team, but he comes around a lot."

Doyle nodded and pulled on the shirt. "So...when will I be meeting them all?"

Cordelia shrugged uncomfortably. "Whenever you feel ready, I guess...which would _not_ be now. Right now you need some sleep." She smiled brightly and pulled a sleeping bag out of the closet. "So hop on that bed, mister. I want you to have the bed sleep of your entire life."

"No," said Doyle, eyeing the lumpy sleeping bag as Cordelia rolled it out onto the floor. "You take the bed, I have the floor. I've slept in worse places, believe me."

Cordelia looked him square in the eye and attempted to adopt a firm expression. "Listen up, buddy. There is absolutely no way you are sleeping on that floor. Bed, now."

Doyle smiled slightly, a ghost of the devilish grin he was known for. "All right, I think it's safe to say that this is an argument I would be willing to lose. That bed looks absolutely wonderful."

Cordelia grinned happily and led Doyle to the bed. She gestured to the tray of food and said, "I brought enough to tide us both over until morning. Eat whatever you want, I just have to freshen up a bit before bed, okay?" Doyle nodded, but his attention was already trained on the food placed before him. He was biting into an apple as Cordelia slipped into the bathroom and locked the door. She stumbled to the sink on weak knees and finally let tears spill across her cheeks.

"He's back," she whispered to the mirror. "He's really back..."

Angel glanced up as the lobby doors swung open. His son stood at the threshold, looking uncomfortable and concerned at the same time.

"She was here yesterday," said Fred. She glanced at the men around her and decided to elaborate. "She was taking a nap in her guest room upstairs. I went up to check on her and she was really broken up."

"Yes," said Wesley as the memory washed over him. "She came downstairs looking rather haggard. And she answered a phone call, if I remember correctly."

Gunn nodded to Connor and he reminded, "we came in while the message was playing. She picked up the phone when the girl said her name. Then she took off pretty quick."

"Did she come back to the hotel?" asked Connor. He glanced at Angel. "She didn't come home last night."

Angel felt his mind speed into overdrive. "Who was on the phone?"

Fred walked over to the answering machine, explaining, "the message should still be here." She fiddled with the contraption for a minute before hitting the play button. A woman's voice hit the ears of everyone in the lobby.

Cordelia re-entered the hotel room after collecting her sporadic emotion with help from the bathroom mirror. Doyle was limping toward the door, wincing every now and again as he moved. Cordelia immediately felt her heart leap to her throat. "Where are you going?" demanded the overly emotional woman.

Doyle gave her an odd look and leaned his back against the wall as he responded, "I was thinking downstairs. See the gang and all that." His eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. "Am I not supposed to?"

Cordelia grimaced and reluctantly said, "I guess not." She sighed and ran a shaky hand through her hair, while avoiding eye contact. The next words were spoken with uncertainly and a liberal dash of guilt. "Doyle…they just…I haven't really _told_ anyone about you being back." She glanced quickly at his face before adverting her attention elsewhere.

Doyle was left speechless for a long moment. When he spoke it was with a frown, "did you even tell Angel about the spell?"

"No..." admitted Cordelia as she bowed her head in shame. She spared a quick glance at Doyle and continued, "I wanted you to be just mine for a little while before I had to share you with the world again. I missed you so much."

Doyle was taken aback. "You missed me? When I jumped…I figured you would mourn me for a day or two and then forget about me."

Cordelia met his eyes with more intensity than she ever remembered having before. It was a long time before she had the courage to tell him the one thing she had been hiding from the rest of the world. "Doyle, I have missed you ever single day you were gone." She choked back the tears before continuing, "sometime it felt like I was dying without you."

"Cordelia, if I knew you felt that way…" started Doyle, with an amazed expression on his face.

"I didn't," explained Cordelia with a small grin. "Not while you were alive, anyway. It was after you died, it was when I realized everything I had lost. After that kiss. I just want you to be mine, I don't want to share you with anyone." Her voice was small and venerable as she finished.

Doyle's gaze softened as he reached out to take her hand. "You brought me back. You gave me my life back. Are you really going to keep me locked up here? Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind being your sex slave," Cordelia laughed through her tears as she continued, "but I really want to live again. I want to see my friends, I want to walk down the street. You gave me a second chance, and I'm not going anywhere this time, princess."

Cordelia nodded and smiled. "Lets go downstairs and meet the team."

"Angel?" Angel thought the voice sounded familiar. "Cordelia?"

"Is anyone there? Okay...I thought I should tell you…there is a spell I have, one I was hoping you would perform. This is pertaining to my ex-husband…in recent months I have discovered a bit more about that…device…that killed him. There was a spell, I guess, that forced anyone who touched it to, well, to go to…hell. He meant a lot to me, and I know that, despite his faults, he deserves better than that. I think you meant a lot to you, too. Please, please, get back to me as soon as you can. There is a spell, but it can only be done tonight. Uh...this is Harry. You can, and I hope you will, contact me at 455-67..."

"Harry?" screeched Cordelia's voice from the answering machine. "Is that you, Harry?" The message ended abruptly. Angel was in a visible state of shocked disbelief as his team watch him with varying levels of confusion and trepidation.

"Hey," said Cordelia, lamely, from her position at the top of the staircase. Behind her stood a scruffy man in his early thirties with jet black hair and pale green eyes.

tbc…

Review! You know you want to…


	4. Conversations

**The Return**

**Author:** Nicole Lane

**Summary:** Cordelia performs a spell to bring Doyle back from the dead. How will the gang react to his arrival and how will they fare when a new big bad makes his presence known? Set in season four. Cordelia/Doyle.

**Chapter four: **Conversations

****

Angel was in shock. Cordelia stared at him in twisted defiance, and the rest of his employees looked startled and confused. The focus of his shock, however, stood behind the seer, and was a man he had watched die nearly three years before. The vampire sputtered and stumbled over his words as they came pouring out, "how is this…oh my…"

Doyle smiled crookedly at his former boss and tipped an invisible hat. "Good to see you, Angel."

"Is it really you?" asked Angel in a hushed whisper. Still, the question carried through the lobby and only served to further confuse the rest of the staff.

Doyle walked down a few stairs, surpassing Cordelia with a comforting squeeze on her shoulder. The smile on his face changed into something more affectionate as he looked at his old friend. "It is. Looking well, Angel."

His eyebrows drew together as Angel continued to stare at Doyle. His voice, when it finally came, was cool as his gaze shifted to the seer, now behind Doyle. "I would be lying if I said the same." He frowned. "Cordelia, you hid this from us?"

Her face still betrayed the defiance Cordelia felt toward Angel. She knew he would be clouded by the feelings he had for her, and that the vampire would make Doyle feel unwelcome because the half demon carried the same feelings. Cordelia adopted a carefree tone as she spoke, but let her eyes tell Angel a different story. "I was still reeling from the fact that it worked. I just wanted to bask in my own awesomeness for a bit." She laughed lightly, but the tension in the lobby was still overwhelming.

Doyle frowned at Angel and backtracked until he and Cordelia shared the same step. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he chided, "cut her some slack, Angel. She only wanted to help me."

Angel hardened his features and crossed his arms, spurred on by the unwavering expression Cordelia still levelled toward him. "No, this should have been a team decision."

It was Connor who finally asked the question that the majority of the gathered crowd had been internally wondering during the entire exchange. His gaze was distrustful and a tad jealous. "Who is this man?"

Cordelia smiled at the teenager and softly answered, "Connor, this is Doyle." She watched recognition wash over Wesley, but decided to elaborate when Connor, Gunn and Fred still looked on in confusion. "He was one of the original team members."

Amusement bubbled up inside Cordelia as she watched something spark for Fred. The Texan smiled and proclaimed, "the man who gave you the visions!"

Doyle suddenly tensed beside the seer. His stare was full of horror and regret when Cordelia met his eyes. He whispered, "you have visions?"

Cordelia bit her lower lip and, in a similarly low voice, responded, "when you kissed me, they passed on."

"Princess, if I had known…" He closed his eyes so she would not have to see the sorrow he felt.

Cordelia let her hand rest against Doyle's cheek as she shook her head emphatically. "No apologies. Those visions gave me a purpose." She smiled reassuringly until Doyle nodded slightly and let her hand fall to his chest.

Angel broke their moment, his voice harsher than necessary. "How do we known it's really Doyle, Cordelia? You could have released some horrible demon."

Her gaze hardened again and her voice was strong and unwavering as she responded, "I didn't."

Angel shook his head, overcome by sadness and trying to mask it with anger. He took a moment to collect himself and choked out, "so many things could have gone wrong."

"Nothing went wrong," said Cordelia, confidently. "I was reckless, sure, but it paid off."

Doyle laughed slightly, attempting to break the tension in the room. He looked down at his old friend with disbelief written across his face and a question in his eyes. "Angel, you're giving the impression that you're upset she saved me from hell."

Angel softened his resolve and sighed. "No. It is wonderful to see you. It really is." Just as the half demon began to smile, Angel qualified his response, snidely adding, "as long as you are you."

Cordelia gave an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. "He has been here all day, Angel, if he was a demon he would have attacked by now." Her hand found her hip and she raised her chin to the vampire, who continued to study the pair on the stairs with a mixture of shock, distrust and little bit of hurt.

Gunn spoke up for the first team since Cordelia and the stranger appeared at the top of the stairs and turned to his boss, offering a solution to the situation. "Not to interrupt what seems to be a pretty intense conversation here, but we could always get Lorne to read him. Find out if he is whoever you guys think he may or may not be."

Fred clutched her boyfriend's arm and nodded emphatically. "Charles is right. Lorne will be able to tell what his intentions are."

Doyle turned to Cordelia, asking without words her opinion on the newest development. She nodded her head at him, showing him that she agreed with the idea. She explained, "Lorne is an empath. A completely harmless, show tune singing empath. Would you agree to a reading?"

Doyle shrugged carelessly, trusting his saviour's judgement. "If that would make you all feel better."

Cordelia smiled and whispered, "Thank you, Doyle."

Doyle looked at her curiously and responded just as softly, "No problem, Princess."

Connor was the first to break the awkward silence that had fallen over the hotel. With a sullen expression he made for the weapon cabinet, muttering, "someone needs to patrol."

Gunn shared a look with Fred and cleared his throat. "How about I go with you, Connor?"

Connor didn't look up as he responded, "Sure."

Fred clutched her boyfriend's arm as he made for the cabinet, and nuzzled his neck. When she pulled away they shared another look and she whispered, "Be safe, Charles."

"Hey, with boy wonder on my heels I probably won't even see any action," assured Gunn with a crooked smile, gently pulling away from Fred and walking over to Connor.

The Texan frowned and mumbled, "I hope so."

Wesley shifted awkwardly and cleared his throat. "So, do we all go see Lorne?"

Angel shifted suddenly and made a bee-line for his office, a nasty scowl sprawled across his features. As he passed Wesley he ordered, "Call him, see if he can come over."

Fred stood awkwardly in the lobby as her boss passed by. She called out, meekly, "What if he's busy?"

Angel continued on as if Fred hadn't spoken. "Find me in my office when he gets here."

Doyle slowly descended the stairs, Cordelia following him with a worried expression. He paused at the foot of the stairs and turned to Cordelia with a small half smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Here I thought it was impossible for him to be any moodier than he was before."

She smiled sadly and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "You would be surprised."

Fred stepped toward the duo and extended her hand with an open smile. "Hi!"

Doyle smiled slightly as the bundle of energy radiated before him and after a quick glance back to Cordelia he accepted the hand. "Hi."

She shook back enthusiastically. "My name is Fred. Angel saved me from a hell dimension," said Fred with a wide, open smile.

Doyle laughed softly and patted Fred on the back. "Doyle." He quirked his lips thoughtfully and continued, "Angel saved me from myself, I guess."

Cordelia rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his abdomen. Her voice was soft, but carried purposefully through the lobby. "The Powers did, Angel was just a vessel."

Doyle turned his head slightly toward the beautiful woman and replied seriously, "I think we owe a lot more than you think to Angel, Cordy."

Fred glanced between the two, then to Wesley who was studying the interaction from afar. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and plastered another smile across her face as she vibrantly inquired, "So, you are a half demon, too?"

"Too?" Doyle questioned with a jovial grin as he settled into the conversation with Fred. "Are you a half demon, Darling?"

A silence enveloped the room again. Cordelia placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Doyle."

He turned to Cordelia, shock coloring his face. Soon a smile broke across his features and a laugh bubbled up. "What? You? Wow, that is a secret you kept hidden pretty well."

Cordelia laughed lightly, but her eyes were clouded and worried when they met his. "It happened recently. I was born human, thank you very much."

Wesley spoke for the first time since Angel had locked himself in the office. "The visions were killing her, so Cordy had to become part demon to handle them." He glanced at Cordelia with a mixture of apology and resolve.

"Stop it." the seer said as she saw the horror pass over Doyle's face. She shot a dark look at Wesley who busied himself with a phone call at the main desk before focusing on the most important person in the room to her, explaining, "I could have given them up. I wanted to keep them. Having them made me feel closer to you."

Fred quirked a smile and looked between Doyle and Cordelia. "So, you guys used to date?"

Cordelia averted her eyes. "No."

"Not for lack of trying." Doyle amended with a grimace. The expression melted into a mask of pain as he swiftly grasped his side. "Could we sit down?"

Fred was immediately flustered and grasped Doyle's arm, leading the half demon to one of the lobby couches with Cordelia's help. "How rude of me! Are you hurt?"

Cordelia scowled and sharply remarked, "He just got an express ticket out of hell, which is not really a place known for hugs and kisses, Fred."

Doyle gave Cordelia a dark look and rubbed Fred's hand reassuringly and he said, "I'm fine. I appreciate your concern."

Cordelia sunk into the couch beside Doyle with a shaky sigh. "I'm so sorry, Fred." She dropped her head into her hands and continued, "I just feel so mentally and physically drained and just…argumentative."

Fred smiled at the seer and tipped her head in acknowledgement of the apology. "This is a pretty touchy situation, I understand." She lowered her voice and let her eyes dart to the office. "Angel was acting really out of character, too."

Doyle chuckled lightly and patted Cordelia's knee. "If that was Cordelia acting out of character then things really have changed around here."

Cordelia swatted him playfully and admonished, "Quiet, mister. Three years can really change a person." She attempted to make her face a mask of seriousness. "I matured."

Doyle pouted playfully. "I liked the high maintenance drama queen."

"I haven't changed that much." Her eyes drifted back to Wesley now that the miniature disaster had been averted. Her eyebrows quirked in question.

The former watcher responded with a slight nod, and elaborated, "Lorne can be by in half an hour."

Doyle grinned playfully and attempted to lighten the mood as he turned to the watcher and said knowingly, "Now you I remember hearing about."

Wesley raised his eyebrows slightly in curiosity and said, "Really?"

Doyle nodded and smiled at Cordelia as he responded, "Cordelia used to talk about you a _lot_. Wesley, right?"

Fred looked at her friend with shock and blurted out, "you used to have a crush on Wesley?"

Cordelia glowered at Doyle and rolled her eyes. "Drop it, guys." She pointed a finger at Wesley, who was smiling slightly knowing that the seer brought memories of their brief time together to LA. "And you shut up, mister. It isn't how it sounds."

Wesley cleared his throat uncomfortably and carried the conversation through the somewhat awkward diversion, again focusing the attention on Doyle. "I heard quite a bit about you, as well. We just missed each other, it seems. I arrived in Los Angelus shortly after your death."

Doyle frowned at the mention of his sudden departure. "Is that so?"

"Yes. Angel and Cordelia were still mourning you, in fact." The former watcher leaned forward, reverted to his old, sometimes untactful, ways of intellectual pursuit as he carelessly continued, "I must say, this is most fascinating. You were physically in hell? For all that time?"

Doyle cleared his throat slightly and a dark emotion clouded his features. "Seems that way."

Cordelia held out a hand to stop Wesley from continuing his train of questioning. She adopted a stern, but kind voice as she said, "Wesley, I can see all the questions swimming around up there, but can you file that away for another day?" She rose her eyebrows and gave him a pointed look.

Wesley blushed once the implication of Cordelia's gaze set in. He stuttered an embarrassed apology, "Of course. I apologise."

Doyle quirked a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "No problem."

"It is honestly wonderful to meet you, Doyle. I have heard a lot about you."

Doyle studied a spot on the floor, apparently becoming weary of the constant conversation. He responded softly, "All good, I hope."

Wesley glanced at Cordelia before saying, "for the most part."

Cordelia was quick to switch gears, turning to Wesley and sweetly asking, "We need to find Doyle something better to wear. The sweats are not doing it for me. Do you think you have anything we can borrow, Wes?"

Wesley rose quickly and began to leave the room, saying as an afterthought at the foot of the stairs, "Yes, of course, let me go find a change of clothing."

Cordelia watched him go with a smile before turning to the petite Texan and grinning hopefully, "Fred, could you grab my purse for me? I think it's upstairs." At her curious look, Cordelia elaborated, "headache pills." She touched her hand to her head and made a pained expression for effect.

Fred rose from the couch quickly and smile brightly, glad to be given a way to help the seer. She bounced to the stairs, calling behind her, "sure, I'll be right back!"

Cordelia smiled widely, and spoke in a voice full of fake enthusiasm and pep, "we'll be waiting!"

Doyle smile at her when they were well and truly alone and said, "you are evil."

Cordelia twisted her face in exaggerated hurt and questioned, "complaining?"

Doyle shook his head softly and replied, "never." He glanced around the spacious lobby and added, "finally, some peace and quiet. This place is a circus."

Cordelia nodded knowingly and rolled her eyes. "Happy you came downstairs?"

Doyle smiled softly and chose to ignore the derision in the woman's tone. She placed a gentle hand on her cheek and said in a clear, but low voice, "Happy to be home." His brow furrowed slightly as another thought crossed his mind. "I just wish Angel was happy, too." Both turned their attention to the office door, imagining the sulking vampire within.

_tbc…_

AN: I would apologize for the wait, but it might sound a bit insincere after all the waiting before. School is out for the summer, though, and updates will come much more frequently! This story should be done by the end of summer. I know it's a bit small this time, but its because I rearranged the chapters a little. The next one is 70 percent finished.

Thank you to my lovely reviewers who I am absolutely awful to. I would like you to know that (despite my apparent allergy to updating) you are the reason I continue writing.

So, thanks to: Anony, CampRockfan4ever, Carrie, Katharina Liebe, Skittles Rainbow Pride, and Verbal-Enigma.

A special thanks to Whooligan for finally talking me into posting this chapter. Thank you for all the kind words and motivation. And the death threats, too. No one wants to run afoul of Spike and his demon army. As far as WWAD…I think Angel would update.


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